Photo by Rene Huemer via @PhishFromTheRoad


On Wednesday night, in the second of two shows in Bangor, Maine, Phish treated fans to some expansive jamming in the second set, as well as fan favorite “The Lizards.”

“Crowd Control,” a standby opener at this point, started things off, followed by a short but sweet “Plasma.” “Army of One” and “Alaska” came next, which gave the fans a chance to sing along with the band. “Kill Devil Falls,” however, provided the first improvisational highlight of the night. Clocking in at only 11 minutes, this version packed some serious jamming into a short time, as Phish is wont to do these days. A major-key type-two section emerged directly after a type-one peak.

After not being played at all this past fall, “How Many People Are You” made its first appearance since 7/27/18. Next came “Petrichor,” the far-reaching Big Boat composition by Trey Anastasio. Considering it had been raining for much of Phish’s stay in Bangor, it was certainly a fitting choice considering the weather-themed lyrics. “Saw It Again > Sand” closed the set on a high note, as the grittiness of “Saw It Again” led nicely into a smooth “Sand” jam.

Set two began with the Kasvot Växt tune “Turtle in the Clouds,” complete with the synchronized dance from Anastasio and Gordon. “Gotta Jibboo” followed, making its second appearance of the summer. This version, while not straying from the structure, still contained some focused improvisation. Speaking of improv, the next segment was the highlight of the show: “Fuego” -> “Cities” -> “The Final Hurrah.”

In “Fuego,” the band quickly shirked the song’s structure and explored the unknown, moving from key center to key center with ease. Eventually, they settled in on a groove that resembled “Cities,” and sure enough, Anastasio started up the Talking Heads cover. After the short composed section, the band was right back into a heated jam, slipping in Fuego teases throughout. All of a sudden, Anastasio began singing “The Final Hurrah;” the segue was so smooth that the opening chords of this song sounded like part of the jam.

After this segment wound down, the band opted for another sing-along segment of “Prince Caspian,” “Farmhouse” and “Backwards Down the Number Line.” “Number Line” contained a quality solo from Anastasio. “Chalk Dust Torture” closed out the set, and its jam, while technically staying within the song’s original key, certainly felt more inspired than a standard version. The encore began with “The Lizards,” which is always a treat, and “Suzy Greenberg” closed out a quality two-night run. (For the setlist statisticians out there, this marked the first time since 1991 that “The Lizards” was placed before “Suzy Greenberg.”)

At the end of the show, Anastasio thanked the fans, remarking that these shows “feel like hometown shows” for them. He then gave one more shoutout to drummer/Lincolnville Board of Selectmen member Jon Fishman.

Phish tour continues this weekend in Camden, NJ.

Check out the full setlist – as it appears in our Box Scores section – below:

Phish
June 26, 2019
Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion

Set I: Crowd Control, Plasma, Army of One, Alaska, Kill Devil Falls > How Many People Are You, Petrichor > Saw It Again > Sand

Set II: Turtle in the Clouds > Gotta Jibboo > Fuego -> Cities -> The Final Hurrah > Prince Caspian > Farmhouse> Backwards Down the Number Line > Chalk Dust Torture

Enc: The Lizards, Suzy Greenberg